Climate change is exerting a broad range of (mostly adverse) effects on biodiversity, and more are expected under future scenarios. Impacts on species that deliver key ecosystem services, such as bats, are especially concerning, so their better understanding is key to preventing or mitigating them. Due to their physiological requirements, bats are especially sensitive to environmental temperatures and water availability, and heatwave-related mortality has been reported for flying foxes and, more anecdotally, other bat species. For temperate regions, to date, no study has highlighted an association between temperature extremes and bat mortality, mostly due to the difficulty of relying on data series covering long timespans. Heatwaves may affect bats, causing thermal shock and acute dehydration so bats can fall from the roost and, in some cases, are rescued by the public and brought to wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRCs). In our work, we considered a dataset spanning over 20 years of bat admittance to Italian WRCs, covering 5842 bats, and hypothesised that in summer, the number of admitted bats will increase in hotter weeks and young bats will be more exposed to heat stress than adults. We confirmed our first hypothesis for both the overall sample and three out of five synurbic species for which data were available, whereas hot weeks affected both young and adults, pointing to an especially concerning effect on bat survival and reproduction. Although our study is correlative, the existence of a causative relationship between high temperatures and grounded bats is still the best explanation for the recorded patterns. We urge such a relationship to be explored via extensive monitoring of urban bat roosts to inform appropriate management of bat communities in such environments and preserve the precious ecosystem services such mammals provide, especially insectivory services.

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are among the most frequent patients of rescue centers in Italy. Three outcomes are possible: natural death, euthanasia, or treatment and release. The aim of the present study is to propose blood L-lactate concentration as a possible prognostic biomarker that may assist veterinarians in the decision-making process. Sixty-three roe deer, admitted to one rescue center in the period between July 2018 and July 2019, were sampled and divided into 4 groups according to their outcome: (1) spontaneous death (17 cases), (2) humanely euthanized (13 cases), (3) fully recovered and released (13 cases), and (4) euthanized being unsuitable for release (20 cases). In addition, blood samples from 14 hunted roe deer were analyzed as controls. Whole blood lactate concentrations were measured with a point of care lactate meter. Differences among groups were close to statistical significance (p = 0.51). A cut-off value of 10.2 mmol/L was identified: all the animals with higher values died or were humanely euthanized. The results suggest that roe deer with lactatemia higher than 10.2 mmol/L at admission, have a reduced prognosis for survival during the rehabilitation period, regardless of the reason for hospitalization and the injuries reported. Therefore, humane euthanasia should be considered for these animals.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious multisystemic pathogen posing severe threats to wild carnivores and domestic animals. To investigate CDV circulation and lineage diversity in Piacenza Province, Northern Italy, wildlife surveillance was conducted under the Regional Wildlife Monitoring Plan between 2021 and June 2026. Forty-three wild carnivores—comprising red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), European badgers (Meles meles), wolves (Canis lupus), stone martens (Martes foina), and one jackal (Canis aureus)—were evaluated by necropsy, histopathology and molecular assays (RT-qPCR/RT-PCR). Overall, 12 animals (27.9%, 95% CI: 15.3–43.7; six foxes and six badgers) were confirmed to be CDV-positive. No positivity was found before 2024. Positive animals displayed characteristic lesions, including hemorrhagic enteritis, pulmonary hepatization, and footpad hyperkeratosis. Sequencing of the hemagglutinin (H) gene of the four complete H genes obtained revealed that they belonged to clade A of the European/South American 1 lineage, showing the highest nucleotide identity with Alpine CDV strains from Switzerland and Northern Italy. These results confirm the recent circulation of CDV amongst foxes and badgers in Piacenza. Continuous molecular monitoring and integrated cross-border surveillance remain essential for the effective management of transmission at the interface between wildlife and domestic animals.